Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, 1 1/8 miles, March 29 (100 Derby qualifying points for a win, 50 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth) After a major thunderstorm forced Fair Grounds to cancel racing Friday, clockings were slow Saturday at most points of call in most route races on this heavily manicured racing strip, including the clockings recorded in this $1 million contest. Vicar’s In Trouble, the winner of the Lecomte Stakes early in the meet and third in the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 22, essentially went wire to wire here to suggest that he will be a pace factor in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby on May 3. He also might prove to be a legit win threat should some of the prospective speed types defect or fail to make the race. While other Derby horses in California and Florida have shown more overall talent, Vicar’s in Trouble does have tractable speed, and he did not lack for challengers in this event. First, he had to fend off simultaneous early pressure from Louies Flower and In Trouble before repulsing Rise Up’s backstretch bid. Then, in upper stretch, Vicar’s in Trouble needed to dispose of the rallying Intense Holiday. Under excellent handling by the meet’s leading jockey, Rosie Napravnik, Vicar’s in Trouble kept his lead while setting moderate splits of 23.56 seconds for the first quarter-mile, 47.86 for the half, and six furlongs in 1:12.14 before the Louisiana-bred son of Into Mischief surged to a winning advantage at the mile marker, clocked in 1:37.15. At the wire, Vicar’s in Trouble was 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Intense Holiday, the Risen Star winner. His time for the nine furlongs was 1:50.77, and it earned a respectable 97 Beyer Speed Figure. The victory gave trainer Mike Maker his second probable Kentucky Derby starter, as General a Rod’s third-place finish in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream raised that colt’s Derby qualifying points to 40. That could be just enough to make the 20-horse field for the Derby on May 3. Intense Holiday’s trip for second was not nearly as smooth as the winner’s, but he now has 93 qualifying points. Barring an injury, Intense Holiday is likely to join at least two other Todd Pletcher trainees at Churchill Downs. [ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays] Pletcher’s We Miss Artie won the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 22, and his lightly raced Constitution won the Florida Derby on Saturday. We Miss Artie is owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, the owners of Vicar’s in Trouble. So, the Ramseys probably will have two in the Derby. Intense Holiday had shown noticeable improvement when Pletcher shipped him in from Florida last month to win the Risen Star in the final strides. As a result, the son of Harlan’s Holiday was the 19-10 betting favorite Saturday. When he made his move from midpack to briefly reach Vicar’s in Trouble at the top of the stretch, many probably expected him to once again prove best. But he ducked in sharply despite left-handed whipping by jockey Mike Smith. Smith later explained what happened: Intense Holiday was cross-firing, with his front lead and rear lead not synchronized, which caused him to bounce off the rail. “He switched in front but switched the other way behind. That’s why he hit the fence,” Smith said. “But in all honesty, the race was over." True enough. When Intense Holiday resumed his pursuit, Vicar’s in Trouble was gone. There was some bumping early and late that may have affected the performances of several in this race. In Trouble was disqualified from fourth to fifth for first bothering Albano on the backstretch and then doing it again when both were vying for fourth in the stretch. But the most important interference occurred immediately after the start, when Rise Up broke inward to force 13-1 shot Commanding Curve back to last in the 10-horse field. The incident only amplified the performance turned in by Commanding Curve, who rallied strongly for third and galloped out as if he might have been at least second-best. While he has only 20 Derby qualifying points and seems light in proven talent, I would reserve some trifecta money for this horse if he makes it into the Derby field. Next: The Santa Anita Derby and Wood Memorial on April 5